The spooky season has started in the UK, headlined by Alton Towers’ Scarefest, with new experiences and exclusive tours.
From spine-chilling rides to live entertainment, all under the cover of darkness, the atmosphere of Scarefest nights at Alton Towers Resort is like nowhere else.
The popular event returns to the Staffordshire theme park for its 21st season, running for six weeks. Attractions Daily was invited to Alton Towers Resort to experience this year’s event.
As nights get longer, thousands of families will make the pilgrimage to Alton Towers Resort this Halloween. Described as ‘frantically funny and seriously spooky’, Scarefest has gained a reputation over the decades for providing family-friendly frights and heart-jumping scares for seasoned scare-hunters and treat-hunting families of all ages.
New scares
Two new experiences are making their Scarefest debut in 2025. Sabrina de Carvalho, Senior VP of UK Attractions at Merlin Entertainments, says: “At Alton Towers Resort, we are always raising the bar for thrills and our latest scare attractions, The Edge of the Forest and Dark Hollow, are no exception. The new scare maze and scare zone bring the twists of the Dark Forest to life in terrifying new ways, and we cannot wait to see brave fans take it on during Scarefest 2025.”
The Edge of the Forest is a live-action scare maze set deep in the eerie Dark Forest. Those who dare to enter will be stalked by horrifying tree-like creatures and plagued by a mysterious presence known only as the Leshwall – a spirit said to twist the trees and infiltrate your mind.
Attractions Daily previewed this maze and (without giving too much away) was impressed by the creativity and original narrative – certainly vying for the title of the best Scarefest maze to date. We particularly appreciated the attention to detail, with the story evolving with each stride. A climax scene facing the Leshwall itself certainly gained a jump from this writer!
As well as the new headline maze, Alton Towers has a new scare zone. Dark Hollow, a free-flowing outdoor experience, plunges visitors further into the expanding world of the Dark Forest area. A chilling presence watches from the shadows, luring thrillseekers deeper into its grasp. Here, they must uncover the truth behind sightings of ‘The Twisted’, forest-born creatures believed to punish those who disturb the natural order. Rooted in lore from the TH13TEEN roller coaster, Dark Hollow offers a setting suitable for those looking for their first scaremaze-esque adventure.
Extensive lineup
As part of the 2025 Scarefest lineup, Alton Towers Resort also has several much-loved attractions which have made a return.
Guests can once again brave the Altonville Mine Tours, found in the depths of the Towers themselves, and wander through the eerie atmosphere of the Burial Ground scare zone, in the shadows of the Wicker Man roller coaster and its six-storey high effigy as it spectacularly bursts into flames.
First introduced last year, Scarefest visitors can descend into the unnerving depths of the COMPOUND scare maze. With various paths ensuring no journey is ever the same, this maze further expands the Forbidden Valley story. This maze delivers a more personal touch, with the group split up several times throughout the experience and various changes in pace. Some guests did get singled out by the actors, so it’s certainly not one for the faint-hearted!
For younger visitors, Trick O’ Treat Town with HARIBO and MAOAM, offers a delightfully spooky walk-through experience where visitors knock on doors along Spooky Avenue and into the Witchy Woods. Along the way, there’s the promise of sweet treats, but also a fair share of playful tricks. Amigos in the Afterlife provides an interactive adventure with a touch of Alton Towers storytelling flair – a Mexican-inspired experience suitable for all ages.
Nighttime thrills
But the screams don’t end with the mazes, as the park’s selection of thrill rides operates until 9pm in the dark. Guests can dive into Oblivion in the pitch black or experience the record-breaking The Smiler, alongside the rest of the resort’s lineup.
They can also discover the new addition for the 2025 season, Toxicator, the suspended top spin built by German manufacturer HUSS Park Attractions. The highest of its kind, the thrill ride towers at 78ft tall thanks to its 16ft elevated platform. Positioned in Forbidden Valley, the ride is flanked by the ominous Nemesis Reborn, which was revamped last year after an 18-month transformation.
As the only topspin ride in the world to be elevated above ground level, this means spectators can watch the entire experience from underneath. Water fountains dramatically shoot up around the attraction, representing the chemical solution formed from Nemesis’s saliva.
The park’s award-winning immersive dark ride, The Curse at Alton Manor, is also suitably themed to continue the spooky season thrills.
VIP Experiences
This year, Alton Towers Resort has enhanced its premium Halloween offerings with the launch of two new VIP experiences.
The new “Alton Towers VIP experience Ghost Tour” is being introduced following guest reports of paranormal sightings within the park’s Grade II-listed Towers ruins. The 90-minute guided ghost hunt will equip brave attendees with professional paranormal detection equipment as they explore the mysterious ruins after dark.
Guests will delve into the supernatural history of the Towers, once home to the Talbot family, the Earls of Shrewsbury, from 1412 to 1924. The experience promises to share chilling firsthand paranormal accounts from guides and will include spine-tingling séances.
Bianca Sammut, the park’s former Vice President, commented on the new offering. “The Towers have long been at the heart of Alton Towers Resort and now guests can uncover the chilling stories hidden within its walls,” she said.
“With real ghost-hunting gear, immersive storytelling and exclusive access, the VIP experience Ghost Tour is a must for paranormal fans and thrillseekers alike this Scarefest.”
Alongside the ghost tour, the resort is unveiling a behind-the-scenes VIP tour of COMPOUND. This experience offers a unique “lights-on” walkthrough of the multi-route attraction, allowing guests to see the intricate sets and design details that were previously hidden in the dark.
The tour is designed as a multi-sensory experience, allowing visitors to view original concept art, design sketches, and costumes. It will also feature exclusive talks on the maze’s storyline, creative process, and technical innovations, and even expose guests to the unforgettable scents used to define the attraction’s atmosphere, such as sterile hospitals and metallic blood. The COMPOUND VIP tour includes a standard ticket to the live-action scare maze and an exclusive VIP pin badge.
The Alton Towers Ghost Tour VIP experience and the COMPOUND behind-the-scenes VIP experience are both priced from £55 per person. Certain scare mazes require an additional ticket in addition to park entry. Tickets for Alton Towers Scarefest and the new VIP experiences can be found on the Alton Towers website.
Attractions Daily was invited to visit Alton Towers to review this year’s event. Photos: Alton Towers/Merlin Entertainments
